Here is an amazing story, told in cross stitch by Deborah A. Dick of Tempting Tangles. The designer managed to squeeze in an amazing amount of detail and plenty of fun ideas such as the cat shaped ghosts lounging in the tree.

There are two equally exciting themes in this pattern. First the green Quaker/Vierlander medallions, elaborate cross stitch motifs symbolizing trees in a forest. Second are the exquisitely detailed houses, each with different architectural features. This sampler by Tempting Tangles promises hours of joy.

Winter is not all doom and gloom. Think of the frozen icicles shining in the pale morning sun, frost motifs on the windows, red berries in the bushes attracting all kinds of birds. Deborah A. Dick of Tempting Tangles, captures the spirit of Winter in this very pretty design.

Now complete, From Tempting Tangles, Deborah A. Dicks' "Night before Christmas" series, comprising 4 ornaments, that put together read the entire poem. We particularly love the beautiful last part with an imposing St Nicholas holding a bejewelled staff

You can almost feel the chilly autumn wind in this splendid work created by Deborah A. Dick of Tempting Tangles. The colors used for cross stitching - all DMC - are splendid with contrasts of warm reds, greenish yellows and purple skies. The poem that inspired the work is also very evocative. An awesome piece of needlework.

Here is another feast of colors by Tempting Tangles, this time stitched in hand-dyed Classic Colorworks cotton floss. Autumn, with its fine warm hues, is such a beautiful time of year to render in cross stitch.

New from designer Deborah A. Dick, 2 designs inspired by the all-time favorite poem "The Night before Christmas". All Tempting Tangles designs, no matter how small, are elaborately designed with fun stitch detail such as the loop-made beard of Santa Claus, the red-bead-tipped noses of the reindeer, or the decorative borders worked with Sofia crosses and beaded diamonds.

Much inspired by books and poetry, Deborah A. Dick of Tempting Tangles showcases - in cross stitch - a pile of one of her favorite author's works, incidentally also by Jane Austen. Alongside the leather bound classics is an elegant period ink well and a feather writing pen.

Further down, see more works in cross stitch, one inspired by American poet Emily Dickinson, the other by Myrtle and Rose, a beautiful poem by Goethe that goes: "Knowest thou the land where the lemon trees bloom,..."

In a frenetic world, it's worth taking time to reflect upon and celebrate some of our core values. Brought to you by Tempting Tangles, this cross stitch sampler is a beautiful work of needle art, celebrating the values of freedom and justice.

Spot the tiny dragonfly to the right, with shimmering wings and gleaming eyes. It's one of the tiny details that make Tempting Tangles so much fun to stitch. Full of cheerful colors, this is an exclusive cross stitch piece designed especially for Creative Poppy by Tempting Tangles.

We just love the creative and quaint style of the designs by Deborah A. Dick of Tempting Tangles. Her work is very expressive, with lovely muted and warm colors, and has an almost antique feel to it.

The patterns, mostlycross stitch, are full of intricate needlework details and occasional specialty stitches that make her work interesting to stitch all along. Here a view of some details of her lovely Samplers. Click on the image for a full view and more details.

Simply looking at one's stash of red floss, or searching through a color card for the perfect tone of red, us stitchers appreciate the incredibly rich world of color, one of the things that irresistibly draws us to stitching. Human beings have often been at loss to describe colors and most often simply revert to an image, "blue as a clear blue sky". Many color names are thus very poetic.

In the following designs, Tempting Tangles collects words that are wonderfully evocative of each of her favorite shades. They read like a poem and are beautifully laid out in cross stitches, embellished with delicate Quaker style motifs.

Some things in life deserve special attention. Whether you are a coffee or tea lover, the right pot, the right cup and the perfect blend or brew makes the whole difference.

Designer Deborah A. Dick from Tempting Tangles takes us on a wonderful journey, exploring uncommon teas, and rare exotic coffees, together with some absolutely charming tea pots and coffee pots. These are very decorative cross stitch pieces to stitch and, since they work in pairs and series, you can combine them for very attractive wall displays.

If there is one specificity that sums up the art of Tempting Tangles designs, it's certainly the attention given to detailed stitching. While most patterns are mostly cross stitch, the designer is constantly focusing on how to best render her subject in stitches. Here are 5 close up examples of patterns where little stitching details are inserted that take the stitching to a new level.

If you are not familiar with the stitches described below, not to worry: the designer takes you by the hand, introducing you to all these lovely stitches as you work through your piece.

Texture

Designer Deborah A. Dick loves to vary the threads used, according to her subject. Take this little beaded-eyes dragon fly, hovering among the cross-stitch flowers. In contrast with the silk floss, its body and wings are stitched in a glowing emerald green with metallic tones, in a combination of backstitch and cross stitch, and embellished with two copper and ginger petite seed beads.

Any cross stitcher will know that one of the difficulties of cross stitch is to render beautiful curves. This is true for plants, but also for any round shapes, such as this delicate coffee pot, with a top that curves and finishes into a round tip. The designer used a couple of split stitches to delicately finish the cross stitch into a fine curve. The split stitch is a variation of the stem stitch, that creates a neat continuous line.

This pretty spring pot is adorned with branches of delicate cherry blossoms. Notice how they stand out in front of the cross stitch background. To achieve this effect, the designer worked the fragile petals in a lazy daisy stitch, a quick and easy stitch with maximum effect. The branches are worked in stem stitch, a stitch that is both fine and dimensional, perfect for stems, hence its name. To reinforce the contrast with the words stitched in the background, notice how the designer outlines the cross stitching, making them solid and sturdy in comparison with the blossoming flowers. As a final touch, a couple of golden seed beads are worked into the hearts of the flowers.

Check out this little flower that punctuates Giovanni's Alphabet. In contrast with the neighbouring cross stitch, it has a smooth lustrous finish. This is achieved with the use of satin stitch - another aptly named stitch - that fills the petals. It is also neatly outlined with stem stitch. The designer naturally guides you, how to start, how to give a direction to your stitches. Her designs are always "chock-full" of tips.

Satin Stitch is one of the designers beloved stitch, you'll find it in many of her works, in particular in borders and frames. It is beautiful when worked in an overdyed thread, highlighting the subtle variations of color of the floss.

Creation is one of Tempting Tangles most ambitious undertakings. An extraordinary achievement, it depicts the amazing Biblical story of the formation of the world, the creation of heavens, light emerging, seas forming. Among the swirling clouds, in a myriad cross stitches of smoky blues and grey, light emerges. The focus point of this lighter area of pale yellow and white is a very special stitch, a large Rhodes diamond that has been specially adapted and elongated. Look closely... this is god's eye!

These are only just a few examples of the remarkable attention the designer gives to detail. There are many, many more for you to discover. Each of Tempting Tangles designs is always an interesting voyage into the wonderful possibilities of needlework.

Powerful story telling

The Bible is full of wonderful episodes, including the compelling story of the Creation of the World. In the following designs Tempting Tangles picks carefully selected quotes from Genesis, Jonah and other scripture, to tell and illustrate an episode in stitches.